Some Young People Drink No Tap Water

Tap water—that cheap, calorie-free beverage option—may not be getting the credit it deserves, a study found. Researchers took a survey of Americans between the ages of 1 and 19 to determine their tap water consumption. They found that 1 in 6 young persons doesn’t drink tap water and that minorities were less likely to drink water from the faucet than white people. The concern is that children may be drinking sugar-sweetened beverages instead of water, increasing their risk for obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, July 2013